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Title: USE OF ANTIBACTERIAL PROTEINS AGAINST XANTHOMONAS CAMPESTRIS PV DIEFFENBACHIEAE

Author
item MCCAFFERTY, HEATHER - HARC
item Moore, Paul
item ZHU, Y. JUDY - HARC

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/16/2005
Publication Date: 7/17/2005
Citation: Mccafferty, H., Moore, P.H., Zhu, Y. 2005. Use of antibacterial proteins against xanthomonas campestris pv dieffenbachieae. Proceedings XIII Int. Congress Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Cancun, Mexico July 17-22.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Plant diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria cause high losses of crop yields worldwide. The ornamental flowering plant anthurium is prone to a number of diseases of which bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv dieffenbachiae, is the most devastating. Although anthuriums have been extensively bred for colour and floral characteristics little emphasis has been placed on disease resistance. Transformation with genes encoding antibacterial proteins has the potential to improve disease resistance in this crop. Previous studies reported that potato plants expressing bacteriophage T4 lysozyme showed improved resistance to Erwinia carotovora and a reduction in tissue maceration in bioassays. a We evaluated a number of proteins including a lysozyme from bacteriophage T4, and cecropin from the giant silk moth, Hyalophora cecropia, for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas campestris. Based on this result, we used an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system with genes encoding these antibacterial proteins to transform the anthurium cultivars Marian Seefurth and Midori. Genes encoding the antibacterial proteins were subcloned into the pBI121 binary vector with expression controlled by a constitutive 35S promoter and the NPTII gene as a selectable marker. Integration of the transgenes in plants surviving on growth media containing G418 was indicated by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) analysis and expression confirmed by reverse transcriptase PCR. Over 200 lines have been generated and 20 randomly-selected lines are positive for molecular analysis. We are developing bioassays to evaluate any improvement in resistance to Xanthomonas campestris and to investigate any differences in the bacterial infection process. Reference a During, K, Porsch, P, Fladung, M, Lorz, H. 1993 The Plant Journal 3(4), 587-598.